Child Protection Guidance: Religious Leaders

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they maintain a register of religious leaders from all faiths that practise in the United Kingdom; and, if so, what guidelines are presented to individuals on the register to make them aware of child protection issues.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government do not maintain a register of religious leaders from all faiths that practise in the United Kingdom. General guidance on child protection issues is available in the form of a leaflet What to do if you are worried a child is being abused. The guidance was issued in June 2003 and was circulated to all public and voluntary sector agencies having direct dealings with children. The guidance can be found on the Department for Education and Skills website at www.dfes.gov.uk. All voluntary, community and church groups concerned with child protection issues are encouraged to follow this guidance.

Common Agricultural Policy

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made during the United Kingdom Presidency of the European Union on discussions of common agricultural policy modernisation and reform following the European Council meeting on 17 June.

Lord Triesman: The Prime Minister called in his speech to the European Parliament on 23 June for a fundamental review of the whole EU budget. That review should include how we capitalise on the progress made in reforming the common agricultural policy (CAP) over recent years. The UK Government believe, for example, that more can be done to cut the cost of the CAP and to ensure that it fosters an agricultural sector that is more competitive, sustainable and innovative in responding to challenges such as globalisation and climate change. We have not tabled detailed reform proposals. What we have asked for is a proper debate on the future of the EU budget, including the CAP, and we have seen public contributions from politicians, political commentators, economists and of course farmers across Europe. As presidency we have also held formal consultations with each of the member states, as well as Romania and Bulgaria, in order to ensure that we understand their views and concerns on the EU budget for 2007–13, including the future of European agricultural policy and the possibility of a review of EU spending. The UK presidency continues to work to establish whether agreement can be reached in December on the 2007–13 budget. We have also made good progress towards an agreement to reform the CAP sugar regime.

Crossrail Bill

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many listed properties in Essex will be affected by plans under (a) the Crossrail Bill; and (b) the Sustainable Communities Plan.

Baroness Andrews: There are 13,982 listed properties in the county of Essex.
	The Crossrail route through Essex follows the existing Great Eastern Main Line railway corridor, with Crossrail stations proposed at Brentwood and Shenfield. As far as I am aware, none of the 13,982 listed properties are affected by the Crossrail Bill.
	An important element of a sustainable community is its sense of place. Listed properties clearly play a part in creating a sense of place and it is important that they are given sufficient consideration by local planning authorities when planning for the development of a local authority area.
	The document Sustainable communities: Building for the future is a national programme of action setting out how the Government intend to achieve sustainable communities for all. It recognises that there are many elements that make up a sustainable community and seeks to focus minds on the fusion of these elements into a cohesive whole, creating sustainable communities where people want to live.
	Listed property status gives a building statutory protection against unauthorised demolition, alteration and extension. Listing is the start of a process, rather than an end in itself, flagging the significance of an asset so that its future management can enhance its contribution to local, regional and national life.
	In this context, all of the listed properties in Essex are affected by the Sustainable Communities Plan and have an important role to play in the creation of truly sustainable communities, in which people want to live.

Crown Land

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have plans to sell off Crown land in the United Kingdom in the next five years; if they have such plans, which land they plan to sell; when they plan to sell that land; and what are the reasons for such sale.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Following the Lyons report, Towards Better Management of Public Sector Assets, published in December 2004, the Government have set an objective of the disposal of £30 billion of assets by 2010. As announced in the Budget 2005, the Government are putting in place a framework for taking forward better asset management across the whole of the public sector. This will ensure the most effective management of renewed public sector infrastructure and, where they are no longer necessary for business planning, include the disposal of assets.
	It is for individual departments, local government and public bodies to determine their own disposal plans as part of their normal business planning and in line with delivery of their public service priorities. Details of individual plans are not held centrally. Disposal plans may also be commercially confidential, where disclosure could adversely affect the potential value of the public sector asset disposals.

Driving: Mobile Phones

Lord Jacobs: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 11 July (WA 123), why data on prosecutions for speaking on a hand-held telephone while driving in 2004 will not be available until 2006.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Motoring offences statistics for England and Wales are national statistics and are published once a year. Ordinarily, data for the annual motor statistics bulletin are available only nine or ten months after the end of the calendar year. Following the process of validation and preparation for publication, the 2004 bulletin containing written warnings, fixed penalty notices and court proceedings data will be published in early 2006.

EU Constitutional Treaty

Lord Windlesham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to hold a referendum on whether the United Kingdom should approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union.

Lord Triesman: After the "No" votes in the referendums on the constitutional treaty in France and the Netherlands, EU heads of state and government recognised at the European Council on 16–17 June the need for a period of reflection to consider the way forward. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister advised the House of Commons on 20 June that, under the current circumstances, the treaty could not proceed. Consequently, the Government do not intend to proceed any further with the EU Bill's parliamentary process as things stand. The Government have made clear that the constitutional treaty will be ratified in the UK only after a referendum.

EU: Economic Model

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they take the view that the governments of all European Union member states should adopt the same economic model.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Under the Lisbon Strategy, EU Member States share common economic aspirations. For example, at the Spring Council in March 2005, the Lisbon Strategy was re-launched with the emphasis placed on creating jobs and economic growth, including through further reforms to labour markets, progress in completing the internal market and improving the regulatory environment (Presidency Conclusions, 22/23 March 2005).
	However, the policies needed to deliver these outcomes will differ among member states. Historical, cultural and social factors, reflected through democratic choices, will rightly lead to different approaches. As the UK Government have said "the Union must adopt a pluralist approach to reform, in which Member States have the flexibility to tailor reform to suit local social and institutional conditions" (Advancing Long-Term Prosperity: Economic Reform in an Enlarged Europe, HM Treasury, February 2004).

European Commissioner Neelie Kroes

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will seek the suspension of Competition Commissioner, Ms Neelie Kroes, while an investigation is conducted into her support of Frau Merkel in the recent German federal elections; and whether her support for one gender over another was compatible with European Union rules on gender equality.

Lord Triesman: No. EU legislation on gender equality has no bearing on this matter.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many Freedom of Information Act 2000 appeals have been dealt with by the Access to Information Central Clearing House since the coming into force of the legislation; what is the average time that has been taken in processing those appeals; and how many appeals are at present pending.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Access to Information Central Clearing House has received over 2,800 referrals since the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. In excess of 450 of these have been referred at internal review stage, while just over 60 are cases that have been appealed to the Information Commissioner's Office.
	The time taken to process FoI requests at any stage is not monitored or recorded by the clearing house and it is therefore unable reasonably to estimate the average time taken in this process.
	The role of clearing house is to advise on the appropriate application of the FoI Act to those requests referred to it. It does not, however, have the final responsibility in responding to FoI requests, either to the applicant or the Information Commissioners Office. It is therefore not possible to say how many of those cases are currently pending. However, statistics on the performance of Central Government on handling FoI requests are collated and published by DCA and can be found on its website at www.foi.gov.uk/implement.htmfoistats.

Government Departments: Electronic Attack

Lord Harris of Haringey: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 18 July (WA 188), which Ministers are responsible for information security in each government department; and which Minister has overall responsibility for information security in the critical national infrastructure.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Each government department is responsible for its own information security arrangements, and the overall responsibility for security, including information security, rests with Ministers. Within the Home Office, the Home Secretary has the overall responsibility, but the day-to-day responsibility for information security rests at official level with the Permanent Secretary. The Home Secretary has overall responsibility for the protection of the critical national infrastructure.

Government Departments: Electronic Attack

Lord Harris of Haringey: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 18 July (WA 188), what progress is being made in preparing a national incident plan to respond in the event of an electronic attack on the critical national infrastructure.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: In line with their on-going security arrangements, the Government regularly review and exercise their response plans in the event of a major attack on the critical national infrastructure, including electronic attack.

HM Treasury: Cosmetics

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much H M Treasury has spent on cosmetics in each of the last eight years.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Treasury's accounting system does not record cosmetics as a separate category of expenditure. Information relating to any expenditure on cosmetics could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Treasury would not ordinarily expect to incur expenditure on cosmetics in discharging its functions.

Housing

Lord Whitty: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their current definition of affordable housing by general formula and by specific price or rental in (a) the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; (b) the London Borough of Southwark; (c) Bristol; and (d) North Dorset District.

Baroness Andrews: I refer my noble friend to my Answer to the noble Lord Marlesford of 9 June (Official Report, col. WA 99). This explained that the Government require a local planning authority to define the prices and rents for housing it considers to be affordable in its area. Such information is not held centrally by government. My noble friend would need to approach the relevant local planning authorities as policies regarding affordable housing provision should be contained within their respective development plans, which are in the public domain.

Iraq: RAF Transport Flights

Lord Garden: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of planned Royal Air Force transport flights to and from Iraq have been cancelled or suffered delays in excess of 24 hours in the past six months; and whether they plan to use alternative civil carriers from Kuwait when personnel are likely to suffer prolonged delays in returning to the United Kingdom.

Lord Drayson: In the past six months 2 per cent. (three return flights) of all Royal Air Force (RAF) passenger flights into and out of Basra airport have been cancelled and 9 per cent. (13 return flights) have been delayed in excess of 24 hours. The total number of return flights flown over this period was 138. In the event of prolonged delays every realistic course of action will be considered in order to minimise disruption to personnel both deploying to and returning from Iraq. This includes the use of alternative RAF aircraft, which may be diverted from other tasking, other coalition military aircraft or a chartered solution.
	Civil carriers can in some instances take longer to arrange than the use of substitute military airlift. This is due to the requirements of European regulations for competition before a carrier can be selected, and the subsequent time required to obtain the necessary diplomatic and flight clearances.
	Kuwait is one of a number of airports that can be considered as an alternative point of arrival or departure; however, the Ministry of Defence would aim to use military airbases where the RAF already had personnel and support deployed. While military facilities remain our preferred solution, this does not preclude the use of civil airports as and when the situation dictates.

Millennium Lottery Fund

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any funds remain in the Millennium Lottery Fund; and, if so, whether the funds will be passed to the new Big Lottery Fund.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Millennium Commission's current balance held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund is £83 million of which £67 million has been committed to existing grant programmes and for operating costs. The Millennium Commission remains in operation and commissioners retain discretion to offer further grants where they believe this to be appropriate
	Under the provisions of the National Lottery Bill, the Big Lottery Fund as successor body, would take on any remaining balance and funding commitments.

National Curriculum

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consideration is being given to the suitability of some aspects of the national curriculum as it relates to less academic pupils; and what consideration is being given to the provision of employment-related courses.

Lord Adonis: The national curriculum is intended to be suitable for all young people, whatever their academic ability. In 2004 we made changes to the 14-19 curriculum which give schools greater flexibility in catering to the needs of less academic pupils. We have also asked the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to undertake a review of the key stage 3 curriculum to allow schools more flexibility to meet students' individual needs and strengths. Several programmes which offer employment-related courses are already in place, such as the Increased Flexibility Programme and the Young Apprenticeship scheme. In addition to these, the recent 14-19 Education and Skills paper details proposals for specialised diplomas, which have a clear vocational bearing, and a programme for 14-16 year-olds at risk of disaffection and disengagement, which will have a strong work-focus.

Prison Service: Employment Tribunal

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they can provide a full breakdown of the cost of the employment tribunal involving Mrs Carol Lingard and the Prison Service.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The following is a breakdown of the expenditure the Prison Service incurred following Ms Carol Lingard's complaints of constructive dismissal and victimisation to an Employment Tribunal.
	
		
			  Amount 
			 Payments made to the claimant pursuant to the  
			 employment tribunal's remedies judgment on 30 June 2005 
			   
			 Basic award £3,915.00 
			 Injury to feelings award £3,000.00' 
			 Compensatory award (net) £367,136.76 
			 Claimant's legal costs and counsel's fees £97,912.50 
			 Total payments to claimant £471,964.26 
			   
			 Prison Service's Legal costs  
			 Respondent's legal costs, counsel's fees and disbursements £126,057.38 
			 Total cost to Respondent £598,021.64

Prisons: Provision of Condoms

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the new guidance and instructions aimed at clarifying the policy on condom provision in prisons are to be published; and whether the guidance will include the provision for condoms to be made available anonymously to all prisoners who need them both in adult prisons and young offenders' institutions.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The revised guidance and instructions on the provision of condoms for prisoners forms part of more general guidance to governors about their responsibilities for healthcare. We plan to publish it early in 2006. The guidance aims to clarify the policy on condoms so that it can be applied more consistently across the prison estate.

Russia and China: Joint Military Exercise

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What reports they have as to the scale and purpose of the first joint military exercise conducted by Russia and China on the Shandong Peninsula and at Vladivostok between 18 and 25 August.

Lord Drayson: The joint Russia-China military exercise PEACE MISSION 2005 involved 10,000 troops, of which some 1,800 were from Russia, and a wide range of aircraft, ships, and submarines. It commenced with briefing sessions in Vladivostok, Russia on 18 and 19 August and then moved to the Shandong Peninsula in China between 20 and 25 August where the live military activity took place. The declared purpose of the exercise was regional crisis management and peace enforcement, specifically to develop the ability of Sino/Russian military forces to conduct a joint operation "opposing international terrorism and extremism".

Schools: Healthy Eating

Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to encourage schools to promote healthy eating; what funds are available for this purpose; and how any such funds can be accessed by schools; and
	Whether they have particularly encouraged the Billingsgate Seafood Training School to promote healthy eating.

Lord Adonis: Government would like to encourage all those associated with food production and provision to promote healthy eating, and are engaged in an ambitious three-year programme to effect no less than a transformation in the health content of school meals. The School Meals Review Panel has published its report containing recommendations for new nutritional standards for school lunches; the new Ofsted inspection framework will expect schools to present evidence about their general approach to food and healthy eating; an independent School Food Trust is currently being set up to support schools making the transformation to healthy meals; and from September 2005, the "Healthy Schools" programme has included healthy eating as a key element, which schools will need to address to reach the National Healthy Schools standard.
	Government are investing £220 million to help schools and local education authorities transform school meals through training and increased hours for cooks, equipment and a minimum spend on ingredients. Thirty million for this year has been allocated to local authorities—with a further £100 million over the following two years. Thirty million will be granted direct to schools as part of their standards fund allocations in October, with a further £60 million over the following two years.

Skills Shortages

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which ten specific skills are in shortest supply in the United Kingdom; and which specific courses are available in schools, or will be shortly, which would fill these shortages.

Lord Adonis: The main skills shortages reported by employers are:
	Technical/Practical skills
	Team Working
	Communication
	IT skills
	Literacy
	Management
	Numeracy
	Customer Handling
	Problem Solving
	Foreign Languages
	These skills shortages are addressed in many courses already available in schools, including GCSEs and A-Levels, Vocational Qualifications and Key Skills Qualifications. My right honourable friend has asked the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to develop a single framework for personal, employability, learning and thinking skills which, together with reformed English, maths and ICT qualifications, will equip young people with the skills they need. 14-19 Education and Skills (CM6476) also details proposals for the introduction of specialised diplomas, which will provide new, strong vocational learning opportunities.
	Source: The Skills in England 2003 report; Learning and Skills Council, February 2004.

Sudan: Darfur

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made any representations to the African Union about reports that union personnel are abetting commercial prostitution inside internal displacement camps in Darfur, in particular in the Kamla camp.

Lord Triesman: The Status of Mission Agreement (SOMA) for AU deployment to Darfur states that the chairman of the mission shall take all steps to ensure the maintenance of discipline and good order among members of the mission, and we have made clear that we expect the AU troops to conduct themselves to the highest standards. We have stressed the importance of AU personnel (observers and force protection) following DPKO minimum requirements about peacekeepers and HIV/AIDS prevention.